Classic Walt Disney Character Gets Disney+ Series
Movieguide® Contributor
THE LION KING: MUFASA director Jon Favreau is all set to lead a new series about Walt Disney’s classic cartoon character, OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT, on Disney+.
The show will be an animation/live-action hybrid about a spirited bunny named Oswald, according to Deadline.
Walt Disney created the original cartoon character, who appeared in 27 Disney animated shorts from 1927–28. He preceded Mickey Mouse, whom Universal replaced Oswald with in 1928.
When Disney CEO Bob Iger came on board, he wanted to restore Oswald back to the brand. Disney acquired the Oswald trademark from NBCUniversal in 2006, and it became public domain in 2023.
Favreau directed 2016’s THE JUNGLE BOOK, which won a Movieguide® Teddy Bear Award® and was voted one of the Best Movies for Families. Favreau also created, wrote and executive produced THE MANDALORIAN. He executive produced THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT, AHSOKA and STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW. He’s also directing and producing THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU, a feature film set to come out May of next year.
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A 1927 Film Daily advertisement gives an idea of what Oswald’s personality is like: “I’m krazier than a krazy kat, dippier than a dippy dog, laden with LUCK, gold, gelt, simoleons, for the guy who grabs me now for I’M THE CARTOON SENSATION OF THE YEAR!” the rabbit boasts.
In 2013, Oswald appeared in the short GET A HORSE! He also cameoed in another short in 2023, ONCE UPON A STUDIO. And as part of Disney’s 100th anniversary celebration, the character got his own short in 2022, called OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT, per Animation Magazine. He also appears in MICKEY MOUSE and THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF MICKEY MOUSE series and a handful of Disney video games.
“On the eve of Disney’s 100th anniversary, it was such a joy to create the first new Oswald short from our studio since 1928,” said Emmy-winning producer Dorothy McKim in 2022. “Our hand-drawn animation team – including our hand-drawn legends Mark Henn, Randy Haycock and Eric Goldberg, as well our wonderful team of 2D apprentices, had a ball animating in the style of Oswald’s era.”
“Oswald is such a plucky scamp. We wanted to bring Oswald back, and in the short, he literally returns to his original home, the movie screen,” added POCAHONTAS animator Eric Goldberg. “We wanted to have Oswald do all of the ‘squash-and-stretch,’ ‘rubber hose’-animation style, celebrating that first generation of Walt Disney’s artists.”
In the new show, though, it won’t all be the classic “squash-and-stretch” style, as it’s expected to have a live-action/animation mix.
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